 It is now time for oral questions. I recognize the leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition. Thank you so much, Speaker. My first question this morning is for the Premier. Yesterday, Alberta signed the deal for a $10 a day child care with the federal government, and families here in Ontario are asking what's happening here in this province. Does the government not get the urgency here that families actually need a break and $10 a day child care would be a great break? Costs of everything are going up. I think everybody acknowledges that. Child care expenses are one of the biggest that families have, sometimes costing more than the mortgage. Federal Minister yesterday said this, and I quote, We are still waiting on that action plan, and while I very much welcome the letter from Minister Leche, we're still waiting for more details from the province of Ontario. Why has Ontario still not done their homework and leaving families to wait even longer? Why do we not have that child care deal right now? Well, thank you very much, Mr Speaker. And thank you to the member opposite for the question. Indeed, Ontario wants to get a good deal, a fair deal for the families that we serve. Mr Speaker, the offer by the federal government would not get us a $10 a day, not in year one, not in year five, not at any point in the duration of that agreement. And I would hope every member of this legislature is resolved to stand up for families who want a deal that gets us to $10, a fair share that reflects the interests of families and the fact that this province has one of the most comprehensive child care systems in the world in this country, no doubt, and we're proud of that, including the $3.6 billion we expend for 260,000 foreign five-year-olds. We want that recognized by the federal government. We want an investment that does not penalize Ontario because we happen to have the most progressive, comprehensive system in the nation. We want a better deal that is sustainable, that is flexible, and that truly achieves the objective of federal mandate, which is $10 a day for all families in this province. Supplementary question. Mr Speaker, yesterday the government was spinning something like $21 or $22 an hour, and they're so out of touch that they don't realize that would immediately reduce costs by about 50% for families right here in this city and around the province. It would reduce significantly. So we know that child care is not just about children and families. It's also about the economy, especially on the heels of this pandemic, where many, many women still have not returned to work. The Centre for Future Work says this, that child care deal could create literally thousands, thousands of jobs and increase the GDP significantly. More importantly, it helps young children to succeed. That is the evidence-based reality about what child care offers, Speaker. So why does this government not understand that helping young families afford a quality life here in an increasingly unaffordable Ontario should be a priority? Why is the Premier still refusing to bring a $10 a day affordable child care plan to this province? Thank you, Speaker. The Premier is very committed to affordable child care. It's why in the first budget we unveiled the Ontario Child Care Tax Credit, which provides roughly $1,500 per child in savings, a measure that was opposed each and every year by the Democrats and Liberals in this House. But with that said, Speaker, we know there's more that can be done. The federal government contributes roughly 2.5% of Ontario's contribution to child care. They should be doing much, much more. Now we agree that child care is expensive. It's an inherited legacy of the former Liberals. Roughly 40% higher than the national average here in Ontario. That's absolutely unacceptable. We agree. It's why we're at the table with the feds. It's why we've made the case that we're being shortchanged. And I thought the new Democrats, at least, would want to stand up to the Justin Trudeau Liberals to say, look, Ontarians are being shortchanged. Billions of dollars that will not lead us to $10 a day. That's the commitment the federal government made. That's what we expected of them to invest in a program that delivers a sustainable, flexible, long-term, affordable plan that all families could enjoy. And more importantly, all families could benefit from. The final supplement. With all due to respect, who new Democrats stand up for is the families who desperately need affordable child care in this program. That's who we stand up for, Speaker. You know, I don't disagree with the minister that, in fact, the child care system was broken under the Liberals after 15 years. They did nothing to fix it. But what we need is a fix that makes it affordable for families. What we need is a fix that increases accessibility, making sure we have more spaces for families to be able to put children into child care. We need high quality care with decently paid workers to make sure that care stays high quality. These are the fixes that this province needs. The question is, why won't this government actually get its act together and bring $10 a day child care to families in Ontario who continue to struggle with rising costs of everything? When will the government prioritise child care system? The minister of education. We're putting the priority on Ontario families that expect their MPPs in this House to stand up for the best possible deal possible. It's an abdication of leadership for the members opposite to want us to sign any deal. The first deal that comes to the province that would have ensured a short change of billions of dollars. That just seems inconceivable when we were sent here to stand up for the best possible interest. I didn't expect the leader of the NDP to be the champion for the federal liberal. I expected her and every member of this House to say to the federal government, we want a better deal. One that actually invests in the children of this province, a comprehensive system that is more sustainable and more flexible, and a program that actually gets its $10 a day. Not $21 or $43 a day. That's not what they committed to. We want a commitment that is long term, not a five year program but savings, no doubt, the long term challenges for families. We want the feds to be at the table and stand with the province through a program that is sustainable, that is flexible and that truly delivers on their commitment of affordable childcare for all families on term. Thank you. The next question, once again, the leader of the opposition. Thank you very much, Speaker Meinat. Next question is also for the Premier. You know, yesterday afternoon, this government voted against making life more affordable for Ontarians. They don't care about getting that childcare deal to take the burden off of families. Not only are they totally out of touch with how hard it is for everyday folks to build the life that they're working towards, but this government is making it absolutely worse. Low wage policies, high housing costs, the price of everything going through the roof, auto insurance, hydro, food. Now, they're pulling, they're pulling on how to politically take advantage of a housing crisis that's been unfolding in this province for years now. The Liberals ignored it, the PCs are making it worse. Will this Premier stop polling on housing and actually help people to be able to afford a roof over their head in this province? Minister Fenaes. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the member opposite for the question. Of course, I would submit that 760,000 Ontarians received a minimum wage increase to $15 an hour is something that makes their lives more affordable. Mr. Speaker, that's over $1,300 for those at the minimum wage. That's over $5,000 for a liquor server. Mr. Speaker, I think if you talk to the 3 quarters of a million workers in this province who face every single day prices going up, there's no question about that, and it's something that we're always very concerned about, is very focused on helping the workers in this province and helping they who help us build this province into a more prosperous province for all families and for all Ontarians. Thank you. The supplementary question. Well, Speaker, in fact this government's low wage policies make it harder and harder for people to afford to put a roof over their head. But instead of trying to fix the problem this government continues to poll on what it is that needs to be done for housing prices. The Premier shouldn't need to pull to understand that we are in an extremely problematic housing price crisis everywhere in the entire province. In Mississauga, single family home is now $1.4 million. In Hamilton, the average condo price is $577,000. You can't even get a house in this city in Toronto for less than a million bucks. Why will the Premier stop worrying about an advantage or future for that matter and actually focus on making life more affordable in Ontario for people who are trying to pay the mortgage or even just have a roof over their head? Question. Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing to respond. Thanks, Speaker. Driven by a severe shortage of housing supply, rental housing and affordable housing has become unattainable for many Ontarians and despite all of the efforts by the government on the housing supply action plan, despite all of the improvements we've seen in terms of housing starts, construction starts, rental housing starts, we know as a government that there is much, much more we can do. And as the finance minister said in his fall economic statement, we will be appointing in the near future a housing affordability task force to give us further suggestions to build upon the success that our housing supply action plan moves forward. I'll have more details in the near future. Thank you. The final supplement. I invite the minister to look at our housing policy, which we put out over a year ago now because we knew that Ontarians need some hope in terms of the housing costs in this province. But look, those costs are going through the roof and the premier continues to keep wages low in the meanwhile. Canada Real Estate Association forecast that Ontario's average house will skyrocket in 942,000 in 2022 and that's almost a quarter of a million higher than in 2020. A quarter of a million dollars more in a matter of two years. Every day Ontarians can't even afford to get into a home. They're struggling to make their mortgage payments. 37,000 people left this province the greatest number in 30 years. They abandoned an unaffordable Ontario. The premier is busy instead of fixing this crisis pulling on what might be popular for him politically. How can the premier stick to this wrong-headed low-wage policy when everything, especially the costs of the fundamental need that everyone has, the price of housing is getting out of control and going through the roof. Despite COVID-19, housing starts are still up significantly since the pandemic. In fact, the housing sector has invested over 25.6 billion dollars in new housing in 2020 which is about four and a half billion dollars more than the previous year. Right in the leader of the oppositions City of Hamilton, housing starts in 2020 were up 7% over 2019 and year to date in 2021 show that they're currently 38% higher. I acknowledge speaker in the previous answer that there is much more to do. Our government is going to be building upon the success of our housing supply action plan. We're not done yet speaker. The next question, the member for Spadina Fort York. Thank you Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Health. November is Diabetes Awareness Month and we know that the Minister of Health knows about it because she tweeted about it but she also know that Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness in Canada and that's why it's so important that people with type 1 diabetes like Thomas Young and Jacob for your constituents can get an eye exam but they haven't been able to get an eye exam because of this government's unwillingness to negotiate a fair deal with Ontario's optometrists. Ontario's children and seniors are also not able to get the eye care that they need including the 7 year old daughter of Jugbeer who needs her first prescription glasses so that she can read the chalkboard at school and seniors including Gita Schwartz, Rob Whelan, Mirna Copeland, Candy Gill and her husband who are experiencing vision loss. In fact, it has been 77 days since anyone has been able to receive OHIP covered eye exams so will the government stop spinning excuses, truly value our residents health and eyesight and enter into good faith bargaining to achieve a fair deal with Ontario's optometrists? Minister of Health. Well, I can certainly agree with the member, with his question that it is very concerning that many young people are not receiving the treatment that they need and many seniors aren't as well but that is not because the government is not paying for these OHIP covered services we continue to pay for them the fact of the matter is that the Ontario Association of Optometrists has decided not to provide these services, they're demanding certain outcomes before we even start into negotiations. They broke off the negotiations with the mediator of their choice they asked for $39 million in back payments because their previous agreement ran out in 2011 under the previous government we want to make things right with them we paid that $39 million into their account they've asked for an increase going forward on the same basis that physicians would receive we are offering that at 8.48% retroactive to the first of this year and we want to go into negotiations with them to discuss their overhead costs these are all things that they've asked for these are all things that we're willing to discuss we ask them to come back thank you thank you Mr. Speaker the government continues to give excuses like the 8.48% that they just mentioned which would bring increase funding to $48 per exam but an independent audit says that they need at least $75 per exam just to cover their costs without actually optometrists being paid the government says they are open to negotiations but they refuse to even offer cost recovery funding to restart those negotiations my leader the leader of the official opposition NDP and the president of the association optometrists both wrote to the minister last week asking for a fair deal even a member of the government's own caucus publicly admitted the government uses quote unquote heavy handed tactics and quote unquote opted to ignore this important file when will the government stop spinning excuses and negotiate a fair deal so that Spadina Fort York optometrists can come back Dr. Shannon Fernandez Dr. Mariel Santos and Dr. Abraham Yoon can get back to doing what they want to do what they were trained to do which is to assist people with their eye care Mr. Hall the fact of the matter is our government is very anxious for optometrists to continue providing these services to people under 18 to people over 65 and everyone else in between to the table the mediator has set out some terms that he wants to see abided by in order for the media arbitration to continue we've agreed to do that we have agreed with all of those conditions but the optometrists have not we want to make sure that we can cover as many of their costs as possible but we need to see what their overhead costs are to do our proper due diligence as custodians of public funds tax payers of Ontario and fair to the optometrists we want to put a group together to work with the optometrists to look into these issues so all we need at this point because we are already willing and able to pursue those negotiations we need the optometrists to come back to the table so if you're speaking of those optometrists would you please ask the association to come back to the table so we can complete a deal of Ontario and remind the members to make a comment through the chair the next question the member for Scarborough Rouge Park thank you Mr. Speaker my question is for the minister of colleges and universities Speaker as you are well aware the COVID-19 pandemic has emphasized the importance of research conducting research here at home would allow Ontario to discover, commercialize the creation of new knowledge and insight which can bring high quality change to society so speaker through you to the minister what is this minister and the government doing to keep Ontario competitive in research and innovation to respond the minister of colleges and universities for that important question our government is committed to investing in research and innovation in order to compete and thrive in the global economy Ontario government in the fall economic statement is investing an additional $48 million over two years to support groundbreaking research initiatives across the province from London to Kingston to Sudbury and beyond funding will go to support the work being done at the perimeter institute snow lab and advanced research computing facilities these initiatives will put Ontario at the forefront of innovation and ensure that research infrastructure continues to be competitive to attract the best and brightest researchers to this province Ontario is committed to supporting research to advance new discoveries and innovation foster a skilled labour force and promote new business opportunities across the province supplementary question thank you Mr. Speaker and thank you to the minister for the answer it is great to hear that our government is investing in the future of research here at home in Ontario Mr. Speaker when we think about research we think about the knowledge data and information it is essential for Ontario research institutes and post secondary institutions to discover, commercialize and adapt advanced technologies to remain competitive Speaker through you can the minister tell us how this funding will benefit Ontario's research institutes and post secondary institutions and our province as a whole Thank you Mr. Speaker and thank you to the member for your interest in this exciting initiative Mr. Speaker it is essential for Ontario's research and institutes and post secondary institutions to discover commercialize and adopt advanced technologies to remain competitive advanced technologies have the potential to increase productivity and create new revenue opportunities to deliver high quality products and services this in turn helps create high scale jobs and enhances the global competitiveness of Ontario's companies our government is saying yes to investing in research to solve complex problems this research will lead us to addressing climate change improving cyber security or finding cures for cancer right here in Ontario our government is thrilled to see this $48 million investment to support research excellence to support key projects in the future I'd like to thank the perimeter institute for hosting me last week Rameel Sanadarum from Compute Ontario and Dr. Virtu from Snowlab who drove five hours from Sudbury to join us Thank you Thank you Speaker to the Minister of Indigenous Relations Yesterday Grassi Narrows First Nation announced they're pursuing legal action against Ontario for issuing mining exploration which authorize companies to drill for gold on their territory in a statement Chief Randy Fobuster said it very clearly the government isn't working with us they are working against us they need to stop logging and mining so the land can heal good land will heal our people from all the damage the government has been pushing on us like mercury and industry will the government listen to the leadership of grassi narrows and rescind those permits Member for Peter Baroka thank you Mr. Speaker what's been issued has been exploration permits and I get a range of briefing for the member if he'd like to have a better understanding of what the difference is between the types of permits the Crown has a duty to consult the Aboriginal communities in relation to approval for mining exploration our government takes the challenges faced by the people of grassi narrows very very seriously and we are engaging in conversation with them but because this matter has now come before the courts I'm afraid that I'm not able to discuss anything further about it and the supplementary question Speaker the government did not consult or even notify the people of grassi narrows before issuing these permits not even notify but now the people of grassi narrows know what's going on they are being perfectly clear Chief Fokuser went on to say since Premier Ford came into power there has been a huge expansion of mining claims and permits on our territory and now the government is starting to plan for more industrial logging on part of our territory again how many times must our people fight off these attacks on our health and on our way of life Speaker the community is being very clear about their needs why won't the government listen Mr. President Member for Peterborough, Coortha Thank you Mr. Speaker the ministry continues to work with grassi narrows to establish a positive relationship and promote reconciliation and to ensure that the community is appropriately consulted regarding proposals to resource development in the area we actually have a meeting scheduled with them for Thursday this week but because the matter is before the courts it would be inappropriate for me to comment any further Order the next question the Member for York Centre Good morning Speaker my question is to the Minister of Health for more than a year the government was telling Ontarians that vaccination is the way out of the pandemic Ontarians endured measures lockdowns and mandates they're now subjected to segregation and passports but alas Speaker the goalpost is moving again over the last week we've heard from Dr. Isaac Bogos who advised the government on its vaccine rollout Bogos confirmed yesterday that efficacy of the vaccine is reduced after six months which is why Ontario is rolling out boosters and last week Bogos tweeted that the vaccine is just a helpful tool providing incremental benefit my question to the Minister of Health as almost 90% of Ontarians are fully vaccinated does she still believe that the vaccine is the way out and if so why aren't we out to reply Deputy Premier and Minister of Health well this is a pandemic I hope the Member realizes that we're not in the endemic stage of it yet we do have over 88.6% of our adults aged 12 and over who have received the first dose 85.6% we're well on our way to reaching the 90% strategy that we've been aiming for we're working on our last mile strategy right now in the meantime compared to many countries in the world you will have noticed that hundreds over 5 million people have died from this pandemic around the world right now we are with this role we are saving lives and for people who are doubly vaccinated who also can still contract COVID it's going to save their life because it will mean that they will not have nearly as toxic a case they will largely be out of hospitals and as you can see by the numbers even though we've gone up at numbers as we expected with the colder weather coming this was not unanticipated we currently have only 137 people in our intensive care and it's right now which includes 11 people from Saskatchewan thank you a supplementary question Speaker the government moved the goalpost again maybe the minister of health was just kidding when for the last 12 months she was telling us that the vaccines are the way out public health is making it up as it goes along Speaker it's a new virus it's a new vaccine which is why we need to start having frank conversations instead of censorship by the COVID mob from two weeks to flatten the curve ask the member to withdraw withdraw from two weeks to flatten the curve to slow the spread from slow the spread to stop the spread from stop the spread to 70% vaccinated then 85% vaccinated now we're at 90% vaccinated but on Sunday on CTV ahead of the science table Dr. Juni said that we need two weeks to flatten the curve did Juni mean to be funny my question to the minister of health 90% of us are vaccinated if the vaccine is effective and is the way out then why do we need another two weeks to flatten the curve and to reply again Minister of Health thank you hard to know where to start with this one but let's just start with I don't know who the member has been speaking with as to medical evidence here but the vaccine has been recommended by the World Health Organization by the Food and Drug Administration the US Canada by the National Advisory Committee on Immunization it has been proven to be effective in saving people's lives it's not the only factor there are many other things that we need to do such as wearing masks which is what we're doing here today such as maintaining physical distancing, frequent hand washing adequate ventilation all of these things are important it's not just one single thing but out of all of these issues vaccination is the most important issue, that's why it is fundamentally important for us to get to 90% vaccination rate in Ontario so that we can then start to see this as an endemic rather than a pandemic but we are not out of this yet I urge everyone who's not received a vaccination yet please do so it will save your life thank you very much the next question is the member for Halibut and Corridor Lakes Broad thank you Mr. Speaker Minister of Community Children and Social Services our province has come a long way in the fight against COVID-19 thanks to our frontline workers nurses and health care providers across the province although the end of COVID is in sight we cannot yet take it for granted some of Ontario's most vulnerable populations live in congregate care settings including homes for adults and developmental disabilities shelters, children residential settings, youth justice facilities and indigenous residential programs these populations are disproportionately affected by COVID-19 and require more support than you or I so Mr. Speaker my question is how is this government continuing to support frontline workers and some of this government's most important vulnerable citizens Mr. Children Community and Social Services thank you Speaker and thank you to the member from Halibut and Corridor Lakes Broad for your good work on behalf of your constituents since the onset of the pandemic our government took immediate steps immediate action to protect our provinces most vulnerable people and the frontline staff who care for them in residential settings this government understands that the fight against COVID is not over and that's why as announced in the fall economic statement we are continuing to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic we are taking further action to protect Ontario's most vulnerable populations and ensure the safety of those in congregate care settings including homes for adults with developmental disabilities shelters children's residential settings youth justice facilities indigenous residential programs with an additional investment of 8.9 million dollars in 2021-22 thank you Speaker and the supplementary question well thank you Speaker and thank you to the Minister of Children Community and Social Services for her answer and her dedication to this file and for explaining the government's action in supporting our vulnerable populations my question is back to the Minister I appreciate that the government has adapted with the evolving science to meet the situation throughout the pandemic and follow the advice and guidance of the Chief Medical Officer of Health this additional investment is necessary to ensure the health and safety of those in congregate care both for residents and their care providers in these extraordinary times it has become clear that COVID-19 must be stopped at the doors of congregate settings through the measures like enhanced screening and use of PPE my question Mr. Speaker is what can the Minister tell us what the additional investment will mean to residents and caregivers in congregate care Mr. Children Community and Social Services once again thank you Speaker and thank you again to our good member from Cortha Lakes Brock our government is building on the previous investments of $131 million with an additional investment of $8.9 million in 2021-22 for COVID-19 supports in congregate care settings to ensure the province is most vulnerable and those who care for them are safe this funding will help to provide support such as personal protective equipment infection prevention and control measures and HEPA filters to improve ventilation which is increasing in its importance these supports will help reduce transmission of the virus and allow residents and staff to be better protected against COVID-19 our government recognizes that we have come a long way and we are committed to continuing all of our efforts until COVID-19 is curbed thank you for the question Thank you Speaker my question is for the Premier my office received a letter from the CEO of Central Manitoulin explaining that they are facing a shortage of volunteer firefighters who have a valid deed license their issue isn't the lack of willing volunteers they have people ready to go the issue is that they aren't able to schedule a road test until April 2022 due to testing backlog people in my writing can't wait 5 months to have a fully staffed fire department they need to know that when there is an emergency there will be someone ready to respond right away the drive test backlog has gone on long enough that the government needs to take action now one extra examiner isn't going to make a dent in the demands we are facing in the north will the Premier commit now to open new drive test locations in the north and allocation of resources necessary to end the backlog across this province thank you the minister of transportation to respond thank you Mr Speaker I understand the frustration of Ontarians across the province in accessing drive tests in every part of the province in the north and the south that's why in June I introduced an aggressive plan Mr Speaker with a committed investment of over $16 million to tackle the backlog of in-vehicle passenger road test and to ensure that everyone who needs a test can book one as part of this plan we've opened over 9 temporary road test facilities and we're hiring an additional 251 examiners that are offering road tests with extended hours on weekends and weekdays Mr Speaker just recently we all opened three additional temporary road test facilities and we are looking at adding one additional road test drive test examiner in every location in the north Mr Speaker we know how important this is to all Ontarians we have a province wide plan supplementary question again my question to the premier Ruth let me try again this is question period not answer period and I do apologize this town CAO writes our volunteer firefighters are having great difficulty when a call comes in they are not enough qualified drivers for the fire truck we have some qualified drivers but since it's our volunteer force there are not always available or in the area to respond to every call the situation cannot go on Speaker this is a vile emergency service that the town cannot go on this is not unique to Algoma Manitoulin municipalities people's health and welfare is at stake because the premier continues to ignore rural and northern communities will the premier recognize that he has failing people in rural communities and urgently address the growing drive test backlog with additional testing locations in the north Mr. President thank you Mr. Speaker well look the problem in the north didn't happen overnight the government our government is tackling the road test backlog that COVID-19 created but the north has historically faced capacity challenges that predate the pandemic that predate this government these issues were the result of neglect by the previous liberals who had 15 years to increase testing capacity in the north but couldn't get it done Mr. Speaker we have an aggressive plan in place and we are by no means leaving northerners behind when it comes to our aggressive strategy to tackle the backlog I am aware of the specific issues in the Algoma Drive Test Centre and we are looking at specific responses to it Mr. Speaker and I can commit to the member opposite our approach will be thank you Thank you Thank you Mr. Speaker my question is to the Minister of Environment Conservation and Parks Mr. Speaker earlier this month international activists and political leaders met at Cup 26 in Glasgow to talk about commitment to reducing emissions Ontarians were excited they thought well maybe this is it maybe we will finally know this government will join the rest of the country in fighting climate change Ontario's Ontarians paid to send our Minister of Environment to Cup 26 but the Premier sent him empty handed we know that Mr. Speaker because we've heard nothing from the Minister about the conference or the work he did over there climate change conferences are not paid vacations these conferences are essential work sessions to coordinate efforts against this existential so my question is what is the Minister's justification for going to Cup 26 and what work did he do to provide an advanced climate action Minister of Environment Conservation and Parks Thank you Speaker the member is indeed incorrect I was honoured to be a part of the Canadian delegation at the Cup conference where I spoke at length and with a number of different stakeholders in the work Ontario is doing to tackle climate change the member opposite would know in fact that Ontario leads Canada in greenhouse gas reductions Mr. Speaker thanks to investments that impart that this government's made into transportation record investments into subways record investments into expanding go transit Mr. Speaker fuel additives that are going to reduce greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to taking approximately 300,000 of delegations about our hydrogen strategy that Ontario is launching our climate change impact assessment the first of its kind in Canada to build resiliency to fight climate change we spoke at length with a number of other provinces keen to learn about Ontario's experiences I will follow up a little more with detailed meetings in the supplementary but was honoured to be a part of Canada's delegation to fight climate change thank you speaker thank you Mr. Speaker but nothing of that was shared during the conference and we're still wondering what happened there Mr. Speaker this government has demonstrated their lack of commitment to climate action by spending Ontarians tax dollars in efforts to make polluting free one of the first things the government did was cancel the cap and trade program after companies had already bought into it I was expecting applause for that the direct impact of this backtracking by this government is that millions of tons of additional carbon have been emitted since 2018 the government spent 30 million dollars fighting the federal carbon tax in court and 4 million dollars in advertising campaign to convince Ontarians that climate change is not important now the government is selling off the green bell to wealthy developers and using MZO's to strip away the role of conservation authority in bypass environment so my question is does this government think it should be free to pollute in Ontario thank you Mr. Speaker I think it's important to understand the facts that member is a part of a party who went in government could have expanded the use of clean fuels they didn't that government could have learned from the COP conference in Paris and launched a climate change impact assessment to build adaptation and resiliency they didn't they could have built subways and encouraged Ontarians to take active transportation through subways through expanding GO trains they didn't they could have expanded green space they could have added more parks they could have expanded more wetlands they didn't Speaker they could have invested in green bonds over 7.7 billion that this government invested in green bonds they didn't when I was at COP I spoke to Tamers Anberg about the important work in wastewater that Shaftan is doing in Israel the important legislation I introduced on York an ever growing community they say no to highways they say no to wastewater improving wastewater management in the province of Ontario Mr. Speaker we met with an important round table on electric vehicles again that government could have built manufacturing and attraction thank you very much next question the member for Oakville thank you Speaker my question is to the Minister of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs Mr. Speaker throughout COVID agri-food businesses experienced unexpected costs to protect the health and safety of employees other agri-food businesses have experienced labour challenges that have disrupted their operations and are food processing and supply chains food processing skills Canada projects a shortfall in full-time food processing jobs will reach 65,000 across Canada by 2025 and according to the Canada Agricultural Human Resources Council Canada will face a shortage of 123,000 workers by 2029 with the majority of that shortfall here in Ontario Mr. Speaker to the Minister of Agricultural Food and Rural Affairs what is our government doing to address these shortfalls and help grow this valuable sector of our economy I recognize the Minister of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs thank you very much Speaker and I appreciate the question from the hard-working member at Oakville because the incredible jobs that exist in the agri-food sector are right here in the GTHA and across small town of rural Ontario and our government with the Premier Ford at the lead is working so hard to make sure that we are taking the right steps and growing investments to make sure people understand the incredible opportunities that exist within this sector just last month our government announced through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership that Canada together with Ontario is investing $1.5 million to address some of our province's agri-food sector labour challenges and Speaker this investment will build a strong labour force that will support projects that identify and address labour challenges that we are currently facing and I can tell you Speaker with absolute certainty that we have a sector that wants to work with our government because we trust and believe in what we are doing when it comes to great jobs growing in the agri-food sector in Ontario Thank you Mr Speaker it's great to hear that this government is taking concrete steps to respond to the agri-food industries labour shortage however while an aging workforce is part of the issue we also know that the reason for the shortage is a result of the specific challenges in attracting entry level and experienced jobs and careers in that particular sector so Mr Speaker to the Minister of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs what is the government doing to address the skills gap in Ontario's agri-food industry Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs Thank you Speaker you know prior to COVID-19 the pandemic the agri-food sector in Ontario had over 720,000 workers and we hear day in and a day out I'll start that one again we hear day in and day out now on a regular basis that people are looking for people to fill the job shortages that we have in this industry and we're working so hard to attract young people and adults with transferable skills to this particular sector we are looking at opportunities that will provide well-paying careers and that includes innovation technology, STEM, automation robotics and the Minister of Colleges and Universities are working very hard with the Minister of Labour with regards to increasing awareness of the amazing trades that are available through this sector but there's professional positions as well and I can tell you the chair of Eggscape Eggscape is agriculture in the classroom promoting good quality jobs she was speaking to the Premier and I can tell you that commodity organizations industries like food and beverage thank you very much the next question the Member for Ottawa thank you Speaker my question is for the Premier after being out of service for almost two months due to a sixth train derailment the Ottawa LRT resumed partial service last Friday but Speaker public confidence in our LRT has been plagued with issues from the start and the public's confidence remains at an all time low for over a year I've been insisting with this government that they take action to address the mess I have heard it's the City of Ottawa's problem until very recently late last week the Minister of Transportation said the government is considering options to promote accountability including a judicial inquiry and an Ontario Auditor General investigation that I've been requested Speaker residents in Ottawa are fed up they want answers and they deserve accountability so my question to the Premier mandate a provincial judicial inquiry under the Municipal Act and join us here in the official opposition by asking the Auditor General of Ontario to conduct an investigation into this mess Mr Speaker well as members of this House know well getting transit built in Ontario is a priority for our government and we must build with respect for transit riders and for taxpayers I am frustrated with the challenges that have plagued the City of Ottawa and we have become increasingly concerned with the City's ability to successfully carry out future phases of this work Ontario is a funding partner and it's important that we have confidence in the City to deliver especially given the size and the scope of Stage 2 we've also heard from industry stakeholders and City Councillors who have expressed concern about the execution of Phase 1 so we are looking at options that will increase the province's oversight of the project to ensure the best value for taxpayer dollars moving forward all options are on the table Mr Speaker this may include a judicial review a review by Ontario's Auditor General and further measures that may require provincial legislation a supplementary question it's encouraging to hear that this morning Speaker but I can honestly tell you and I'll tell the Minister through you that there are some people in Ottawa that do not want a judicial review and some of the lobbyists and insiders speaker are worried like Mr Brian Guest a major LRT consultant who told former Ottawa Mayor Bob Shirelli in an email that a judicial inquiry would and these are his word speaker screw him those were his word speaker released to the media by Mr Shirelli but that's not the worst of it it actually gets worse Speaker Mr Guest's company is still involved in the planning and procurement P3 projects including the Ontario line so Speaker despite the government's rhetoric around accountability today which is welcome to hear they're actually at this point is no difference between Premier Ford and Mr Del Ducca when it comes to promoting P3s in public transit this Premier has talked about stopping the gravy train but like Mr Del Ducca he appears to be just as devoted to the P3 gravy train that helps insiders like Mr Guest I have a question to the minister to the Premier will a judicial inquiry mandated by Ontario be called will the Auditor General of Ontario investigate this mess to get to the bottom of this to get our LRT Mr Speaker well as I said improving public transit is a priority for our government which is why we committed $600 million for stage one of the Ottawa LRT and up to $1.2 billion for stage two Ontario is already holding back 10% of the committed phase one funding as safety investigations remain ongoing and as our government is committed to standing up for taxpayers this is about having full confidence that the city will be able to carry out future phases of work on this project and deliver for the people of Ottawa as I said Mr Speaker all options are on the table our government is reviewing those and we'll have more to say in the future thank you next question the member for York Centre the Minister of Labour over the last two months tens of thousands of Ontarians lost or have been suspended from their jobs more companies are forcing workers to do something against their will the minister claims he didn't vote against my jobs and jabs bill but every time I ask him about it tens of thousands of Ontarians losing their jobs he refuses to even acknowledge the issue but now we have a pivot an admission by the experts that the vaccine doesn't prevent transmission and its efficacy is reduced to six to eight months my question to the Minister of Labour is it appropriate to fire employees who choose not to vaccinate given that the vaccine doesn't prevent transmission and its efficacy wanes after six to eight months and to reply to the government house leader it is important as the Minister of Health has already highlighted it is important that Ontarians get vaccinated Mr Speaker that is the way that we will eventually remove ourselves from this pandemic Mr Speaker it is also appropriate that employers protect their workplaces and their employees Mr Speaker we will always protect those workplaces and those employees and support them in doing so Mr Speaker the good news of course is that across Ontario the economy is booming Speaker and that has required us to aggressively look at other ways that we can fill these job vacancies across the province of Ontario we are seeing the economy roar back to life Mr Speaker and that is good news for all Ontarians I hope that the member opposite will do like he used to do Mr Speaker and when supporting us in all of those measures that we brought in in the pandemic to keep Ontario safe a wonderful supporter of all of those measures and I hope he will be a great supporter in helping bring back the Ontario economy as we go forward Mr Speaker the catastrophe experienced by hundreds of thousands of Ontario workers isn't happening they claim to stand up for workers but thousands of Ontario families don't know if they can keep a roof over their head and it's not because they aren't working it's because they aren't allowed to work because in this government's Ontario employers can terminate you for cause if you refuse to take medication that doesn't prevent transmission and wanes after six months my question to the Minister of Labour Mr Speaker I want to understand about the limitations of the vaccine will he show leadership will he show compassion will the government house leader show compassion and defend Ontario employees who are being fired for not wanting to do something against their will Government House Leader Mr Speaker this is a member who voted in support of every single measure that this government brought forward in order to fight the pandemic and voted yes to every single one of those measures at a time when we did not have a vaccine and when our numbers were increasing now at a time when almost 90% of the people of the province of Ontario who are eligible have gotten vaccines when as the Minister of Health has talked about numbers in our ICUs have decreased dramatically our hospitals are back on the road to recover people are getting their surgeries our economy is booming this member has decided that he's got a different approach a unique approach one that doesn't work anywhere Mr Speaker the results are clear do you want to support workers do you want to keep people working then get vaccinated because that is the best way for us to continue to grow the economy and for us to move forward in the province of Ontario thank you the next question number four London Russ thank you very much Speaker the Premier Speaker Brian Russell relies on ODSP and lives in 125 unit townhouse complex on Belmont Drive in London West last month tenants were told that the units will soon be sold and they will be forced out Brian fears he won't find another place he can afford and worries he will become homeless another tenant Amy Baker says we have all just barely survived coming out of Covid financially and financially and now this she told me the scare tactics that they have set upon our community is disgusting especially with winter approaching and not being able to find affordable housing Speaker when is this Government going to finally crack down on bad faith landlords who illegally pressure or coerce tenants to move out Mr Minister thanks Speaker thanks for the question I know that the Attorney General has worked hard with the landlord tenant board ensuring that staffing levels are up as the member opposite knows our Government through Bill 184 protecting tenants and strengthening the Community Housing Act put a number of measures in place to further protect tenants as the member knows we also were one of the only jurisdictions in Canada that provided land freeze in 2021 but we know that there's much more work that we can do for tenants as we encourage tenants and landlords to continue to work together I want Speaker through you to the member to know that if those tenants in your riding are concerned about the law being broken I would encourage them to reach out to my ministry to the rental housing enforcement unit so that an investigation could take place thank you thank you Speaker yesterday my office learned of another London West building where the same thing is happening Catherine Peebles is a cancer survivor living on a disability pension at 425 Mackenzie the building was recently sold and the new property manager has approached the residents to get them to vacate their units a few of these residents were told that if they didn't leave it could become quote very important thank you thank you thank you this is the main thing there are already news news news news news news news news news In terms of investing in affordable housing, this government through the Safe Restart Plan has put a record investment into our community housing system over a billion dollars to our municipal partners, much of that not cost shared by the federal government. I was the first minister in Canada after the federal cabinet was sworn in to go to Ottawa to meet with my federal colleague, and I made it crystal clear to my federal colleague that Ontario, who is renegotiating our national housing strategy deal with them this year, we're shortchanged, 490 million dollars from the federal government based on our core housing need in this province, 490 million dollars could go a long way to help community housing systems right across this province, including in the city of London. We will continue to stand up for tenants. We will continue to stand up to get our fair share. What we need is other members like your party who consistently vote against our measures to support us. Thank you very much. Next question, the member for Orianna. Thank you very much Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Premier. Mr. Speaker, commuters need relief today, but instead it's reported that the government is choosing to give nearly a billion dollars away to the owners of Highway 407 without anything in return for commuters. Experts suggest that the reduction of tolls on the 407 could provide congestion relief, and yet the Premier and his government, a government that likes to say yes seems to have said no. They've said no to commuters, Mr. Speaker, by keeping 407 tolls amongst the highest in North America. Mr. Speaker, the government is choosing the destruction of thousands of acres of green space, forests and farmland, and they're choosing to spend 10 billion dollars on the highway that won't be built for nearly a generation, Mr. Speaker. That's more gridlock, more damage to the environment, and of course it's a billion dollars lost to corporate giveaways. Mr. Speaker, why is the government more committed to billion-dollar corporate bailouts than the R2 Ontario commuters? Mr. Transportation. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, since our government took off, as we have been focused on making life more affordable for all Ontarians. And in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Mr. Speaker, we took specific action to address affordability for commuters and for drivers. We suspended the collection of interest on unpaid toll fees from Highways 407 East, 412 and 418. We froze the scheduled increases to driver and carrier products, like driver's licenses and validation tags. We extended the validity of all government driver, vehicle and carrier fees, and we froze the scheduled CPI increase to toll rates on Highways 407 East, 412 and 418 that was scheduled to come into effect on June 1st. Mr. Speaker, in this case, our government was bound by a contractual agreement with the 407 ETR Corporation. It included a clause in the event that it could not meek traffic volume targets because of a pandemic. Sponsored. Mr. Speaker, our government had to comply with the law and had no choice but to grant force majeure. Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to getting Ontarians moving and making sure that life is affordable, as we do so. Thank you. Mr. Speaker, lower tolls on the 407 would almost certainly divert traffic from other congested corridors and help families save time. Now it's been reported and it sounds like the minister just confirmed that they've recently granted the owners of 407 nearly a billion dollars in relief. Owners like S&C Lavelin as an example, a billion dollars, Mr. Speaker. Now a billion dollars might not be a lot of money to a government that has no plan to ever balance their budget, but it is a lot of money to Ontarians, Mr. Speaker. Now the government claims to be using every tool at their disposal to address gridlock, but instead of negotiating lower tolls on the 407, they're giving away a billion dollars to corporate interests. Why? Mr. Transportation. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is truly ironic to hear the member from Orleans calling for lower tolls when it was the Del Ducal Liberals who had imposed tolls on highways that they built, making life harder and more expensive for drivers in Ontario. Mr. Speaker, Highway 407 is a privately operated company and as a result has full control over its toll rates. This has been the case since the contract was established in 1999. The Liberals had 15 years to renegotiate the contract. Mr. Speaker, Stephen Del Ducal had four years as minister of transportation and he did nothing. These were unprecedented circumstances and the member for Orleans is offside here. The Liberals had 15 years to remove tolls on provincial highways to address gridlock, but instead they did nothing. Affordability for Ontarians clearly was not a priority for the Liberals, Mr. Speaker, but it is for us. We're constantly reviewing opportunities to lower the cost of living for hardworking families and that includes the many costly policies that were enacted by the Del Ducal Liberals. My question is to the Minister of Education. It has been months since the federal government unveiled its $10 a day childcare plan and since then every province has been negotiating or has signed a deal to bring in $10 a day childcare except Ontario and its parents who are paying the price. People like Natalia, she's a nurse in my writing and she has told me the cost of childcare makes everyday living extremely difficult for her and her family. With rent, school, debt and the rising cost of living, she cannot afford it. Every day your government delays in striking a deal with the federal government costs families. When will this government stop stalling and get us an agreement for affordable, high quality, public or nonprofit $10 a day childcare? My response to the Minister of Education. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I know Natalia and all families in Ontario want to see $10 a day childcare. What the Liberal and New Democratic position is is that we should just take the first offer made by the Trudeau government. And I would simply argue that for Natalia and for all families and moms and dads in Ontario, the deal on the table would not bring us anywhere near $10 a day. And it is up to us as legislators to save to the federal government, advancing the provincial interest, that the deal offered falls short, does not get us $10, is not sustainable and more importantly would lead to hikes in year five, six and beyond. We are working hard to get a good deal and get our fair share from the federal government. We want a deal. We've been working with the federal government of course, interrupted by the federal election. Nonetheless, we're there now making clear our objectives of affordability, of flexibility and a sustainable program to lower costs for all families right across Ontario. Thank you. That concludes our question period this morning. This House stands in recess until 3 p.m.